Sunday, 15 June 2014

Cocaine decisions

I participated in a radio debate recently on the subject of why London is the cocaine capital of Europe. Actually, it probably isn't, but there is no doubt that there is a lot of cocaine use in the Big Smoke.

The conversation naturally swung round to prohibition. You can listen here.

6 comments:

Interesting discussion - I have listened twice. The contribution of a former addict and smuggler (unsuccessful?) was crucial to the debate, since it confined attention to the real world. I suspect that his contribution restricted the ability of the Action on Addiction chap's ability to propagandise, which was refreshing. How many times have similar radio, TV programmes been hijacked by the likes of Arnott to ignore the specific subject in order to spread the propaganda? Time and time again, the devious, media-savvy ASH spokespersons have grasped the opportunity to shout "TOBACCO KILLS HALF ITS USERS!!" regardless of the subject of the discussion. A really interesting thought revolved around advertising such drugs if they were legalised. Would we see TV adverts extolling the virtues of XX hash capsules or pills or additives to cake mixtures? "You'll feel a little happier EACH DAY, with fabulous pink cocaine!"

The situation that you discussed impinges upon standardised packaging of tobacco products. If hash,cocaine etc were de-criminalised, then some sort of specific packaging of specific products would have to be permitted so that people could be informed of the nature of the contents of the package - as to purity, for example, or the mix with other substances. We would have to imagine something like tobacco products as they used to exist a few years ago: that is, without the overkill of uglification by grotesque images, but with some advice about the dangers, and CERTAINLY NOT in the hands of that obscenity known as the EU.Imagine the EU being involved in the legalisation of drugs! Imagine the thousands of pages of regulations! All horse-traded by swapping this for that! There is no need for the UK to withdraw from the EU. All we need to do is not comply with stupidity.

Transform, the pro-legalisation group, wants drugs to be sold in plain packaging a la tobacco, presumably with photos of dying Ecstasy casualties and the like. That is not my position, obviously, though there should be health warnings.

About Me

Writer and researcher at the Institute of Economic Affairs. Blogging in a personal capacity.
Author of Selfishness, Greed and Capitalism (2015), The Art of Suppression (2011), The Spirit Level Delusion (2010) and Velvet Glove, Iron Fist (2009).

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."